BOKO HARAM IN SCHOOLS: EDUCATING THE EDUCATORS, SALVAGING THE NIGERIAN STUDENT. Jerome Samson-Ukaoke Just as every generation should be better than the previous, the desire of parents is that their off-springs attain greater heights than they. As a result parents take very decisive and deliberate actions early in life to direct and chart a viable course for the children. This forms the basic groundwork and most probable justification of parents educating their progeny. Education is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, norms, values and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training or research. It is an experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels or act. Everyone, by this, at different point in the human experience undergoes some form of educative process. Let me underscore ab initio, that, each citizen of a country has the right to unhindered education. The United Nations´ 1996 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes this all important civil liberty for everyone. To acquire sound educational values demands an environment free from any form of hostility as no one can achieve some of qualitative tutelage without an air of calm, some form of serenity, peacefulness, and tranquility. You cannot breed, erect and or build a lasting monument in a state of chaos and anxiety Based on the foregoing, I will posit that Nigeria’s education both now and in the future is greatly threatened. This threat is coming on the heels of massive onslaught which has been declared on everything educational- students, teachers, infrastructure (by the Boko Haram insurgents). A group that vehemently believes that western education is sin and must be eradicated with every sense of force, intense hate and untold horrifying terror. This group of sick people has exerted stiff influence in the Northeastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Kaduna, Bauchi, Kano and the FCT have equally had their fair share of this insanity. So far over 10,000 people have been killed and about 90,000 people displaced by the Boko Haram conflicts. What concerns us more is the recent increasing attack on the class of Nigerian citizens known as vulnerable, defenseless and helpless- the school children. The children- our children have been the object of attack by this sect. It is an act of war declared on the generationext and as leaders of tomorrow, in extension, a threat to the continued existence of a future Nigeria. This is no child’s play. School facilities are wantonly raised down, students butchered without a blink of an eyelid, parents left in perpetual mourning. In a certain School in the North over 59 school boys were gruesomely murdered in their sleep. And most recently the #BringBackOurGirls protests that have swept through the globe demanding for the release of 234 school girls from a School in Chibok community of Borno state, kidnapped by this same barbaric sect. Today it does appear that this Boko Haram agenda of eradicating western education is witnessing a huge success. Most secondary schools in Borno have been shut down and a staggering 10 million Nigerian youngsters are not in school. Most of this unthinkable figure are girls that instead of learning to read and write, young women are married off in their teens. This is a disaster. Worse still to any developing nation, it is more dangerous than the Hurricane Catherina and Hurricane Betty put together. With the unofficial endorsement of cyclonic mayhem and extant quandaric brouhaha as Northern chief priests, students, teachers and parents now drink from the soured jar of disquietude. This is obvious in the recent declaration of one of the escapee of the Chibok abducted girls ‘... I don’t want to hear anything about school ...’ Gradually but steadily the education sector is collapsing. The desirable thought of going to school is no longer desired while a handful of other school children are relocated to different states by their parents. The implication of this is that the Northern Nigeria between now and few years to come will wallow in a sort of education-phobia and glaring underdevelopment. In the face of this menace, what should the concerned parties do to guarantee a fair chance of security for the children? STUDENTS The biblical injunction of watch and pray must be embraced by every school child at this trying moment. Watch! Be watchful! Be at alert always. It is a sad place to be that you have to be your own chief security officer but it is about the only safe place to be now. Be aware of your environment. 2.Report any and every suspected movement in your school. Pay attention to loitering individuals in the school premises. 3. Also report any bag kept in and around the school premises to the school security. This is because explosives are disguised in different forms. 4. Be mindful of any packed car that you don’t know the who packed it. 5. Pray always. Prayer is the key. Pray for God’s protection. The truth remains that the Almighty is your shepherd… and though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil. 6. Also be responsible. Mind where you go always and be in constant touch with your parents/guardian. Let them always know your whereabouts. PARENTS The role of parents has become increasingly important in this regard. While we try to respect the 21st century norm of child independence, our peculiar challenge opposes that phenomenon. Parents must strictly monitor their children right from the point they left home for school. Provide a mobile phone for your child. There have been controversial discussions as to whether Nigeria-child should be in possession of mobile phones. Ours is not to join issues with the discussants but to note that times have changed. In a situation where the child is too young to handle a mobile phone, parents should be in constant touch with the child through the class teacher. Also, don`t fail to have a regular family chit–chat. Here you dish out the instructions and get feed backs from your children about school. Don’t fail to also pray with them. THE SCHOOL Ensure safe and secure school environment where students can learn effectively. I recommend that CCTVs be installed in the school premises right from the gate to different areas. It will demand an increased budget, yes! But it will also bring more students to your school. This is because parents will enroll their children to schools where security and safety are prioritized. Pay your security officers properly. Times without number security officers have been compromised. This happens more because of ill treatment and poor remuneration. Install an efficient intercom devices. THE GOVERNMENT Security of lives and properties is a primary responsibility of the government but the ongoing terrorists attacks seem to have defiled every attempt of the government to live up to their responsibility. First the government has set up different committees to look into the root causes of the insurgence. Secondly there has been an over hauling of the security paraphernalia. Also the joint task force and the community vigilantes have waded into different areas of the northern states concerned. Curfew and state of emergency imposition. These effort and more have been carried out by the government yet the insurgents persist. We however hope that in the coming days more proactive measures will be taken to both guarantee safety and security of students and school facilities alike. With the intervention of U.S hi-tech military effort, china, Israel and others, we hope that the kidnapped girls will be rescued and sanity restored to the society. In conclusion, I implore every well meaning citizen of our dear country to shun violence, it yields no positive dividends. Also, take a minute each day to pray for the safe rescue of the Chibok abducted girls as we all hope that soon God’s vengeance will rest upon the households of everyone that has a hand in this Boko Haram on-slaught. ...Find a copy of this article in the recent publication of CRYSTAL EDUCATION Magazine.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 09:58:32 +0000
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